jewels to make people happy
I studied to become a graphic designer in the 1980s (instead of fashion design, which was more of a difficult career path in Queensland in the ‘80s). I sold jewellery and Japanese-inspired hair accessories to my friends in the Queensland College of Art – though I felt that selling each of my pieces was like selling off a child (and I still feel quite a strong connection to the pieces I make).
I'm in love with Japanese design and the concept of wabi sabi – perfect imperfect. My pieces aren't symmetrical, my pieces have my fingerprints on them, my pieces aren't perfect … but that's where I find beauty, character and personality.
My grandma moved to the coast for health reasons when I was a kid, so I consequently spent my childhood years growing up on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane. I still have the shells and rocks that I gathered from Caloundra beach on moonlit walks with my parents. Then, in the 1980s, I learnt scuba diving and discovered the corals and colours of the reefs my husband and I dived on over the years. All of this, and my undying love of ocean and beach, subconsciously influences my jewellery pieces.
I now live at the Sunshine Coast and could not be happier.
